January 6, 2010

The first week of the new year ushered in some extreme weather around the globe. In England, extreme weather warnings were issued when heavy snowfall closed hundreds of schools and airports. In Spain, heavy rain and snowfall flooded roads and homes in the southwest area of the country. In the U.S., farmers struggled to salvage millions of dollars' worth of strawberries and other crops in Florida as temperatures dipped into the mid-20's. Yet, the weather also brought with it the opportunity for sledding in Berlin and curling in Scotland. (19 images)

A woman shelters under a Union flag umbrella near the Houses of Parliament, during heavy snow in London, Wednesday, Jan. 6. Airports and highways were shut, hundreds of schools had to close, and even filming of the venerable television soap opera "Coronation Street" was disrupted as the worst snow and icy weather in years swept Britain AP / Alastair Grant

A girl holds a piece of ice from the Trafalgar Square fountain on Jan. 5, in London, United Kingdom. The MET office confirmed that the Christmas period has been the coldest for 25 years with temperatures as low as -17C being recorded. Commuters and air passengers faced long delays today as the continued frigid temperatures grip the country. Getty Images / Dan Kitwood

A woman pulls a child on a sledge in the Scottish Borders village of St. Boswells on Jan. 6, in St. Boswells, Scotland. Extreme weather warnings have been issued across England as heavy snowfall has caused further disruption on roads and led to the closure of hundreds of schools and airports. According to the Met Office the latest Arctic cold snap forecast has made this Britains coldest winter for 30 years and residents of counties including Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire have been advised to take action to avoid the worst of the snowfall. Getty Images / Jeff J Mitchell

A swan swims along the river Thames past snow-covered surroundings on Jan. 6, in Henley-on-Thames, England. The MET Office has put in place severe weather warnings for much of Britain today as heavy snowfall sweeps across southern counties from Scotland and the north of England. It is predicted that the freezing conditions will bring Britain's heaviest snowfall for 23 years with some areas of southern England estimated to receive up to 40cm of snow. Getty Images / Oli Scarff

A man stands close to an overturned car on Jan. 5, on the road between La Ina and Jerez de la Frontera before it was closed due to heavy rain. Heavy rain and snowfall forced the closure of about 30 roads in Spain on Dec.31, 2009, mainly in the country's southwest where fields and homes have been flooded in recent days. AFP / Getty Images / Pedro Armestre

A woman plays with a dog in the snow in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, Jan. 4. Temperatures in Kiev dropped to -16 centigrade (3 Fahrenheit) on Monday. AP / Sergei Chuzavkov

A woman and two children make their way down a slope on an inflatable tube in Berlin on Jan. 2. Winter weather continues in Germany with more snowfall forecast for the next few days. AFP / Getty Images / Axel Schmidt

Participants in a sledge race compete in the southern German town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Jan. 6. Winter weather continues in Germany with more snowfall forecast and very low temperatures for the next few days. AFP / Getty Images / Oliver Lang

A bicycle courier cycles through the snow-covered streets of Berlin on Jan. 6. Winter weather continues in Germany with more snowfall forecast and very low temperatures for the next few days. AFP / Getty Images / Axel Schmidt

A robin redbreast eats berries in the western German city of Neubeckum on Jan. 5. AFP / Getty Images / Clemens Bilan

Icicles cling to oranges Wednesday, Jan. 6, in Lakeland, Fla. Farmers spray their crops to help protect them against the cold temperatures. Temperatures in the area dipped into the mid-20's, and farmers are working to salvage millions of dollars' worth of strawberries and other crops. AP / Chris O'Meara

A cotton-top Tamarin keeps warm in front of a heat lamp at the Palm Beach Zoo, Monday, Jan. 4, in West Palm Beach, Fla. Workers at the zoo have taken steps to ensure that animals stay warm in the cold weather south Florida is experiencing this year. In addition to installing heat lamps adjacent to a variety of the cages, they have, in some instances, brought animals in out of the cold. AP / Damon Higgins

Dairy cows graze in a frozen pasture in Cota, on the outskirts of Bogota, early Wednesday, Jan. 6. Freezes affect crops in the first months of the year as temperatures in Colombia's highlands drop bellow zero at night. AP / William Fernando Martinez

A boy warms himself near a fire on a cold and foggy morning in Noida, a suburb of New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Jan. 6. Dozens of people have died in a cold wave sweeping through northern India. AP / Saurabh Das

Three residents walks on the snow-covered street on Jan. 3, in Beijing, China. Authorities in Beijing and Tianjin announced on Sunday that classes in primary and middle schools would be suspended on Monday as a snow storm has caused a traffic breakdown. The meteorological bureau chief said after the snowfall on Sunday, the temperature would plummet by 7 to 8 degrees to minus 16 degree Celsius in the next three days, which would be the lowest since the 1980s. Getty Images / Feng Li

Neil McGuire from the Port of Menteith curling club drills through the ice on Lake of Menteith on Jan. 5, in Port of Menteith, Scotland. The Royal Caledonian Curling Club will meet this week to decide on staging an outdoor Grand Match on the lake for the first time in 30 years. The ice is currently 6 inches thick and needs to be 12 inches in thickness in order for a Grand Match to be played. Getty Images / Jeff J Mitchell

People walk acoss the frozen surface of the Lake of Menteith in Scotland as the sun sets on Monday Jan. 4. AP / Andrew Milligan

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